Black powder catalyst for hydrogen production via autothermal reforming

Abstract

A autothermal reforming catalyst that includes treated black powder (primarily hematite), and a method of treating black powder (e.g., from a natural gas pipeline) to give the treated black powder. An autothermal reformer having the treated black powder as reforming catalyst, and a method of producing syngas with the autothermal reformer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of autothermal reforming hydrocarbon, comprising:
 receiving a black powder collected from a natural-gas pipeline system and that formed on an inside surface of a natural gas pipeline that is a steel pipeline of the natural-gas pipeline system, the black powder comprising magnetite and hematite; and 
 reacting hydrocarbon comprising methane with carbon dioxide via reforming catalyst at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 1100° C. and at a pressure in a range of 1 bar to 28 bar to generate synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the reforming catalyst comprises calcined black powder comprising at least 50 weight percent of hematite, wherein the calcined black powder comprises the black powder subjected to a temperature of at least 500° C. for at least 3 hours to remove carbon from the black powder and then subjected to air calcination at a temperature of at least 775° C. for at least 4 hours to give the calcined black powder. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein reacting the hydrocarbon comprising methane with carbon dioxide is in presence of oxygen and is autothermal reforming, and wherein the reforming catalyst comprises at least 70 weight percent of hematite, wherein the hematite is both a support and active portion of the reforming catalyst, and wherein the hematite being amphoteric advances both cracking of the methane and dissociation of the carbon dioxide in the reacting comprising autothermal reforming (ATR) of the methane. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , comprising collecting the black powder from the natural-gas pipeline system. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the black powder collected from the natural-gas pipeline system comprises black powder collected via a filter disposed along the natural gas pipeline between a wellhead and a gas processing plant or in an upstream portion of the gas processing plant. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , comprising collecting the black powder from the natural-gas pipeline system via a filter, a filter bag, a separator, or a cyclone, or any combinations thereof, wherein the reforming catalyst does not comprise nickel (Ni). 
     
     
       6. A method of autothermal reforming hydrocarbon, comprising:
 receiving a black powder collected from a natural-gas pipeline system and that formed on an inside surface of a natural gas pipeline that is a steel pipeline of the natural-gas pipeline system, the black powder comprising magnetite and hematite; 
 providing hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide, and oxygen to an autothermal reformer vessel, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises methane, wherein reforming catalyst comprising calcined black powder comprising at least 50 weight percent of hematite is disposed in the autothermal reformer vessel, wherein the calcined black powder is formed from the black powder by heating the black powder at a temperature of at least 500° C. for at least 3 hours to remove carbon from the black powder and then subjecting the black powder to calcination in presence of air at a temperature of at least 775° C. for at least 4 hours to give the calcined black powder; 
 autothermal reforming the hydrocarbon in the autothermal reformer vessel via the reforming catalyst at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 1100° C. and at a pressure in a range of 1 bar to 28 bar to generate hydrogen and carbon monoxide; and 
 discharging the hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the autothermal reformer vessel. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , comprising collecting the black powder from the natural-gas pipeline system via a filter, a filter bag, a separator, or a cyclone, or any combinations thereof, wherein the autothermal reforming comprises reacting the hydrocarbon with the carbon dioxide and the oxygen, and wherein the reforming catalyst does not comprise nickel (Ni). 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , comprising providing heat to the autothermal reformer vessel for the autothermal reforming, wherein the black powder collected from the natural-gas pipeline system comprises black powder collected via a filter disposed along the natural gas pipeline between a wellhead and a gas processing plant or in an upstream portion of the gas processing plant.